Chapter 7 - The Eviction from Eden
While the legal hammer was falling in Seattle, the scene at the Cole estate in Lake Forest was pure, unadulterated chaos.
Moving vans were parked across the circular driveway, but they weren't there to deliver Vanessa's baby nursery.
Cook County sheriff's deputies stood on the front lawn, accompanied by two court-appointed receiver bailiffs holding certified writs of immediate repossession.
Nathan sat on the front marble steps in a crumpled dress shirt, his hair wild, an empty bottle of scotch resting between his dress shoes.
Patricia was screaming at the lead deputy, waving a copy of her late husband’s will in the officer's face.
"You cannot throw us out of our ancestral home!" Patricia shrieked, her voice cracking into shrill hysteria. "This estate has been in the Cole family for thirty years!"
"Ma'am, the property was pledged as secondary collateral for the Blue Horizon commercial bonds," the deputy replied with cold, practiced boredom. "The bonds went into default yesterday morning when the chancery court froze your son's corporate entities. The entire parcel has been awarded to Rebecca Cole under judicial restitution."
"Rebecca?!" Nathan roared, stumbling to his feet, knocking the scotch bottle over. It shattered against the stone steps, spilling amber liquid across the concrete. "Rebecca did this?!"
"Mrs. Cole’s attorneys provided thirty-two volumes of forensic financial records proving systematic corporate embezzlement and matrimonial fraud, Mr. Cole," the bailiff stated, handing him an eviction notice. "You have sixty minutes to collect your personal clothing and vacate the premises."
Down the driveway, a sleek black sports car screeched to a halt.
Julian Sterling stepped out, wearing a tailored navy overcoat, looking sharp, handsome, and utterly amused.
Behind him in the passenger seat sat Vanessa, holding her three-day-old infant in a car seat, looking pale and nervous.
Nathan’s eyes burned with homicidal rage. He charged down the lawn toward Julian, screaming like a wounded beast.
"You bastard!" Nathan bellowed, swinging a wild punch toward Julian's face.
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Julian caught Nathan’s wrist easily with one hand, twisting it downward with effortless strength until Nathan fell to his knees in the wet grass, crying out in pain.
"Calm down, Nathan," Julian chuckled, leaning close to his ear. "I came to pick up Vanessa's luggage. And to thank you for paying the private hospital suite bill. The caviar service was a lovely touch."
